10-year-old Palestinian girl attacked by wild boar near Jenin

May 6, 2017 7:41 P.M. (Updated: May 6, 2017 8:34 P.M.)

JENIN (Ma'an) -- A ten-year-old Palestinian girl was hospitalized Friday night after a wild boar attacked her in the town of al-Yamun northwest of Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank, with locals saying the incident was a result of Israeli settlers deliberately releasing wild boars in the area.

Palestinian medical sources said that the child, Alaa Kamil Hoshiya, was bit on her hand and was also suffering from shock.

According to locals, the girl was attacked in al-Khirbeh area of al-Yamun.

Palestinians say they have been dealing with an ongoing wild boar problem in the occupied West Bank, claiming that extremist Israeli settlers have brought boars and released them near Palestinian areas to attack farmers and villagers as a way to keep them off their land.

After years of injuries and damages to agricultural lands caused by wild boars, some Palestinians have taken to poisoning the animals.

Meanwhile, some organizations have alleged that the construction of the Israeli separation wall has affected the habitat of wild boars, possibly leading to higher concentrations of the animal's population in certain areas in the occupied West Bank.